Automobile locking mechanism



Au 25, 1931. c. w. BLOSSOM ETAL 1,820,428 AUTOMOBILE LOCKING usbmmsu Filed Aug. 13, 1924 2 Sheets-Shea; 1

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ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1931. c. w. BLOSSOM ETAL 1,820,423

AUTOMOBILE LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 13, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Uaz-Z 6U B/oasom and BY. 2 7 a e/6011.

ATTORNEY-S Patented Aug. 25, 1931 l UNITED sr es PAT CARL w. BLOSSOM ANn ELMERerETERsoN, or oLEvELaivnoIiIo; Assignees 'rof'r'HE BLOSSOM LOCKGOMPA1\TY,,OI CLEVELAND, 01110, A oonrona'r on on 01110.

AUTOMOBILE LOCKING MECHANISM A'p'plicationfiledAugust 13,1924. Serial no. 731,735. Y

The present improvements relating, as'indicated, to automobile loeking mechanism, have'more particular regard to the provision 1 of means tor conjointly locking the switch 'sjcontrolling the ignition circuit and the transmission mechanism. The object ofthe invention isto providea simple and compactdevice for the purpose stated whereby a singlekey or permutation controlled element may be 1o utilized to. secure an ignition switch of the usual type in open position and'to. actuate a i keeper, for example, in the transmission gear box was to prevent shifting of the transmission gears. In association with theforegoing we incorporate a switch for controlling the lamps on the automobile so that allgof the control devices in question may be assembled into a single unit, thereby notonly loweringthe cost ofmanufacture but relieving the instrus J me'nt board from encumbrance and serving the convenience of the operator;

To the accomplishment of the=foregoing and relatedends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter full'y-describedand particularly pointed out in the claims,'the

annexed drawings and thefollowingdescriptionyset'ting forth in detail certain'mechanism embodyingthe invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of i .30 various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used. c

fInsaid annexed drawings:

v F'ig. 1 is afront elevation of our improved locking device or mechanism, sh'owing sam'e as it would appear mounted on the 'instru-.

' ment boardoi an automobile ;'-Fig. 2 i's'a cen tral longitudinal section of the-device, the plane of the section being indicated bythe" r line 2 2', Fig. .1; 3 is'aftransverse'see. Q tion-o'fthe same,takenjon the plane indicated bythe line 3-3, Fig; 2; Fig. 4 is 'arear'eler yationof the de'vice,ri-. e. as viewed from the left in Fig. 2 ;-Fig. 5is afrea r'view and Fig. 6 a side elevation of one ofthe component parts of'a lightingswitch; and Fig. "is a broken-longitudinal section taken on" a plane at right anglesto that of Fig.2, as indicated by the line 7 -7, Fig: 1

a 'The main supportingelement :for the various operativejparts that compose'the-device ing form. The rear endofthishousing'is extension 14 that projects approximately half 17' disposed vto engage a longitudinally ex is thus illustrated is a circular platezl that is provided with a plurality of circumterentially spacednopeningsadapted for the re ception' of screwsfby means of which-such plate maybe secured to an instrument board or. like support. Projecting'irom. the; rear ,face"ofplate 1 isanintegral boss-3i ofygeneral cylindrical form to whichis secured,1by-- means of screws.4,'a housing 5 of correspond closed. by 'anflapertnred cap 6, the aperture 7 in such .cap beingadapted to receive one end of a steel conduits. A round nosed screw 9 1n the cap-engages an annular groove-10 insu'ch conduitend so as to retainsuch cond'uit against endvvise'movement: Suitably journaled inaficentral opening-12 in plate 1 and attached boss is a" barrelj13 of alock and rotatably securedto the inner end of such lockis anexternally 'threaded'm the length of the space withinthe cylindrical [housing 5. fAs showm rotationofiextension l l 'is designed to-..be effectedand controlled means of a key. 15 as in the familiarcyl- ,75

inder type lock, but it willbe understoodthat any other form of key or permutation lock forthus controlling and efiectingthe rotation of said extension'may be employed.

. Engaging the thread d extenslon lock 13 is an internally. threaded shell or'nut 16 i that is retainedagainst rotative movement but left 'free to move longitudinally within housing 5 byfhavin'g. radially prejecting ears tending gu'ide 18-,attach'ed'to the inner wall 1 of the housing; Firmly secured; in a recess 19 formed in the y L I member 16, suchend being substantiallyclosed, is the head 20 of a wire 21 or equivalent cable member that operates within'the' conduit 8. The walls ofsuchconduit sur .round said cable sufliciently closely-so as 'to i 'preventbending or buckling th-ereofandthus cause'fsuch wire effectively totrans'mit to any desiredpoint 01 the automobile such longh tudinal'movement as inay' be'fimp-arted there'- to upon reciprocation'off nut I6. I Recipro'c a- 1 fti'on'of the nutfln turn"follows upon otation v j 0t the'barrel 13, as will be readily understood, n

inner orr'ear end of the nut I the nut in referred to, such keeper or locking device will be operatively positioned. On the contrary, when the nut 16 is advanced or moved to the right as shown in Fig. 2, as will be the case upon rotation of barrel 13 in a clockwise direction, it will be understood that the corresponding movement imparted to the wire or cable connector 21 will render such keeper or equivalent locking device inoperative. It is deemed unnecessary for the purpose in hand to illustrate such keeper or locking device since the latter will take 011 various forms, depending upon the particular part of the machine which it is desired to lock. A number of directly operated gear locking devices are at present on the market and any one of these may be utilized with the device in hand, or the keeper or locking device may be associated with the steering column or with a brake or clutch pedal, should this be the preferred scheme for locking the automobile.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 7, two diametrically oppositely located binding posts 25 and 26 project outwardly through suitable openings in housing 5, such posts being mounted in a segmental block 28 of insulating material that lies within the housing and fills the openings therein through which the posts thus project so as to thoroughly 'insu late such posts. The outer end of one such post, as indicated on the drawings, is designed to be connected with the battery and the outertend of the other with the coil of the usual ignition system employed in automobiles. The inner ends of these posts carry spring contact members 25a and 26a, respec- 'tively, that are adapted in the forward position of the nut 16 to engage with a band 29 of conducting material that surrounds the body of said nut but is insulated therefrom by an intervening layer of insulating material 30. In the retracted position of the nut,

as shown in Figs. 2 and 7 the contacts 25a and 26a lie entirely clear of such band 29 so that the ignition circuit in this case is open audit can only be closed byadvancing the nut to the right through rotation of the lock 1 barrel 13'.v

eter that constitutes the actuating element :for the-lightingswitch or switches. A la clially projecting handle 33on plate 32 per mits-such plate to be readily turned into any of the several positions indicated by the designations Park, Off, Dim, On, that are inscribed on the stamping 31, the latter thus constituting a dial.

The contact members that constitute the lighting switch proper are best shown in F igs. 4, 5 and 6. These members, so far as they are stationary, are carried by a ring 35 of insulating material that surrounds housing 5 and is spaced a short distance from the rear face of plate 1. A supplemental housing 36 encloses the annular space between aid insulating ring and the plate, such housing'3G beingsuitably secured to the ring and plate, as shown in Fig. 2. Lying within this annular space is a second ring 37 of insulating material that is attached to lugs 38 on plate 32, such lugs projecting through arcuate recesses39 in the main plate 1. Ac-

cordingly, rotation of plate 32, through the;

medium of handle 33, will serve to correspondingly rotate said insulating ring 37. Carried by postslO projecting from the rear face of said insulating ring 37 is a segmental plate 4-1 that constitutes the movable contact member, such plate being formed with a series of knobs 42 that constitute the contacts proper. Springs as are desirably interposed between these knobs and the insulating ring 37 in order to insure proper engagement of such contacts with the stationary contacts 45 in the insulating ring 35. The disposition of such stationary contacts and the manner in which they are connected up will, it is believed, be found sufiiciently indicated in F 1, it being understood that a suitable conductor forms a permanent electrical con nection between binding post 26 and a post l6 that is mounted like contacts l5 in insulating ring 35.

As will be seen upon referring to Fig. 7, a relatively slight advance movement of the nut 1.6 will serve to close the ignition circuit by bringing the shell or band 29 against contacts 25a and 2604, but the corresponding movement, imparted to the actuating member 21 may, and preferably will be, insuflicient to unlock the car. It will accordingly be possible to leave the motor running and yet lock the car, or to start the motor by thus turning on the ignition and still leave the car locked.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention.

.1. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a reciprocable lock-actuating member, manually operable means movable relative thereto for reciproc ally operable means and controlled by said Y contacts arranged coaxially with said manually operable means and forming part of an ignition circuit, and aconduetor carried by said reciprocable memberand adapted in one position thereof to bridge said contacts.

eating said member, and an ignition circuit sw tch arranged coaxially'wlth sald manumember.

2. In .mechanism of the character described, the combination of a reciprocable lock-actuating member, key-controlled, manually operable means for reciprocating said member, and an ignition circuit switeharranged eoaxially with said manually operable means and controlled bysaid member,

3. In mechanism of the, character described, the combination of a reciprocable lock-actuating member, manually'operable means movable relative thereto forreciproeating said member, relatively stationary 4.111 mechanism of the character described, the combination ofv a reciprocable lock-actuating member, a manually operable rotatable member having threaded engagethe last-namedmember and extending there from to a point beyond said housing.

' 8 In mechanism. of. the" character "dc-- scribed, the combination with a support adapted for external attachment, a housing secured at oneiend to said support, a conduit attached to the other end of-said housing, an extern ally "threaded member CARLA W. BLossoM.

at one ment with said first-named member for reciproeating same, relatively stationary contacts forming part of an ignition clreuit,

and a conductor carried by said reciprocable member and adapted in one position thereof to bridge said contacts. y

5. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a reciprocable lock-actuating member, a key-controlled rotatable member, stationary contacts arranged coaxially with said manually operable means. and forming part of an ignition circuit, and a a conductor carried by said reciprocable membriclge said contacts.

her and adapted in one position thereof to V a 6. In mechanism of the character de:

scribed,the combination with a housing, a

manually-controlled lock member rotatably 'f mounted therein, a member to the rear of said lock member to be guided onandmoved thereby and being substantiallyclosed at its inner 3 end, means engaging. said last-named member whereby the latter is reeiproeated upon rotation of said lock member, and a non-collapsing connector-actuator for a remote member, said actuator being headed in the closed end of the last-named member and extend ing therefrom to a pointbeyond said housing a In mechanism of the character descr bed, the combination withca housing, a threaded member rotatably'mounted therein,

a lock in said housing controlling rotation of said member, a member substantially closed at its inner end and having guided engagement with said threaded member, means aligning said'last-named member whereby the latter is reeiprocated upon rotationof said threaded member, and a non-collapsing push-pull actuator for a remote member, said actuator being headed in the closed end of rotatably mounted on 'andprojeeting from said sup-- for actuating a remotely-situate part.

ELMER c. PETERSON." v 

